From LQWiki
Dial-up refers to a type of Internet connection. The name is derived from the fact that you must dial (in the same way you dial a phone) your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to connect to the Internet. Dial-up is also referred to as 56K, which pertains to the theoretical 56Kbps (56 Kilobits per second) maximum speed of Dial-up.
Dial-up connections operate over standard voice phone lines, and use frequencies similar to voice transmissions. For this reason, it is not possible use a Dial-up Internet connection and phone on the same line at the same time. It also means that the phone company does not have to reconfigure your line for you to use Dial-up Internet. In order to use Dial-up however, you will need to purchase a Dial-up modem if your computer is not already equipped with one, and create an account with a suitable ISP.
Because Dial-up requires minimal hardware or setup, it is cheaper than alternatives such as broadband. Unfortunately, because Dial-up uses voice frequencies to transmit data, it is also slow. As mentioned above, the maximum theoretical speed is 56 Kilobits per second. See bit and byte for information on how much this is. Unfortunately, most users will be lucky to get speeds in the high 40's, due to transmission and line quality issues.
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